Antonia Bernardin

The 54th book I read this year was The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore, book 4 in the Dream Harbour series. Yes, if you have been paying attention I read book 2 followed by book 4, I took the wrong one on holiday and ran with it alright!

You can read my review for The Pumpkin Spice Cafe here and The Cinnamon Bun Book store here

A vague summary

This book follows another character we have met in the earlier books, Iris, who jumps from job to job never settling, trying to be the opposite of her mum and not falling in love over and over again. When renowned chef, Archer, is forced to move into the small town and use his skills at the local (and much beloved) diner, in order to get custody of the daughter he’s only just found out exists. He’s left trying to fit into a life so far removed from the world of being a chef in Paris chasing a Michelin star and trying to get to know his traumatised daughter whose just lost her mum. When the town busy-bodies find out he’s in need of a nanny and that Iris needs a job, they push the two of them together and even though Archer knows it’s a mistake to hire the hot nanny, he’s desperate, so he agrees.

Then they are both faced with a problem, what do two people who are very used to (and enjoy) short-term flings do when they are staying in the same house, caring for a grieving little girl, but have crazy flirty tension they can’t act on. Shockingly, this tension ends up boiling over but in the aftermath they are both surprised that they don’t want it to be over.

But after Olive has lost her mum, it would Iris’s worst nightmare for her to start to be a parental figure in her life, when she’s never had a long term relationship or wanted kids before, for the relationship not to work out. Archer never pictured himself settling in a small town, getting home at a reasonable hour, or being a family man, but as he falls more in love with his daughter and grows closer to Iris, he can see a future better than he ever dreamed of. This idyllic picture is incomplete without Iris though. Can they both overcome their commitment issues and choose a different future together?

My review

This book is cute, the whole flirty tension is a good balance against the sweet kid scenes. This is definitely the book where you feel the Stars Hollow-ness of the town and there were lots of funny moments where Archer buts up against it. I think book 2 is my favourite so over-all but let’s reserve judgement until I’ve gone back to book 3.